Film Room: Analyzing Broncos' Run-Defense Issues in Colts Loss

The Denver Broncos allowed 167 rushing yards to the Indianapolis Colts. It's time to examine the film.

Denver Broncos defenders work to bring down Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, during a game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos had an inconsistent run defense last year, and they decided not to add a big body to their defensive front in the offseason. Instead, the Broncos spent big to re-sign defensive tackle D.J. Jones and, later, defensive end Zach Allen.

Jones brings a lot to the table, especially as a leader and off the field. He's a solid run defender, but he isn’t a great one. 

In the Broncos' 29-28 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, their defense fell apart, relinquishing 473 total yards, 167 of which were on the ground. The Broncos' lack of a big body inside was exposed, a guy who can command double teams and open up opportunities for others.

Jones isn’t a massive body and doesn’t command double teams, but how big a contributor was he in the Broncos' inability to stop the Colts' ground attack? Let's study some film clips.

Play 1

D.J. Jones is a quality run defender, and while this is a successful run for the Colts, he plays it about as good as he can. pic.twitter.com/b84pvRela4

— MHH_Film (@MHH_Film) September 15, 2025

Jones is lined up in the left A-gap off the center’s shoulder, but the Colts are stretching the run to the right. Left guard Quentin Nelson ends up engaging Jones on the lateral flow of the play and does a good job with his positioning as the run is being strung out. 

When Jonathan Taylor makes his cut inside, Jones is quick to adjust and square up on Nelson to put himself in a spot to read and react. As Taylor approaches the line, Jones gets Nelson off his body and plays to the gap Taylor is working to get through. 

Jones can disengage from Nelson and get a hand on Taylor to be a part of the tackle. Although this is not a stop or a successful run defense, Jones excels in this area with his techniques and positioning. 

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Play 2

Colts run at Jones behind a double team, highlighting some of the issues with Jones' play as a run defender. pic.twitter.com/6eFVdpZ0SI

— MHH_Film (@MHH_Film) September 15, 2025

Jones is lined up in the same spot, but this one goes completely differently, and highlights one of the issues that come with him as a run defender. Jones lacks the mass to handle double teams, and Tanor Bortelini and Nelson effectively double-team him. 

The double team drives Jones off the ball, but friendly fire ultimately leads to Jones ending up on the ground. This was a big concern for the Broncos over the course of the offseason, stemming back to last year. 

When you lack mass in the middle, someone who can not only command double-team attention, but also stonewall them, you'll see issues against the run. This was one of the Broncos' few good run defense plays, but it came from others and not Jones. 

Play 3

Jones' momentum clears the gap, creating an opening for the Colts to get off a good run. pic.twitter.com/VcDbSewrGF

— MHH_Film (@MHH_Film) September 15, 2025

Jones (93) is lined up on the right A-gap between the center and right guard, and off the snap, the center engages in the double team and helps right guard Matt Goncalves to get into better positioning. 

Now, Jones does fire off the snap, but his momentum is leveraged against him by Goncalves to penetrate the B-gap, with the run going to the A-gap. This takes Jones out of position and leaves the lane open. 

With the center able to pull off the block, Jones doesn't draw double-team attention, and the center moves to wipe out Alex Singleton, leading to a good run for the Colts. There are numerous issues with the Broncos' run defense, and Jones' failure to command a double team and getting put out of position is just one of them. 

The Takeaway

The Colts did a good job of not running directly at Jones often, clearly respecting him as a run defender. However, when the Colts did run his way, they used his size issues and play style to their advantage, similar to how the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens did last year. 

This is not to say that Jones is a bad run defender. He's good against the run and probably the best guy on the Broncos' defense. However, the Broncos will need to address the issues he displayed in this game to improve their on-field results, particularly as the season marches on.

The Broncos will have to rectify these run-game issues if their going to make a plausible push for the playoffs.